biostudies-literatureUnknown14(1)Gao BMagnetic order in most materials occurs when magnetic ions with finite moments arrange in a particular pattern below the ordering temperature. Intriguingly, if the crystal electric field (CEF) effect results in a spin-singlet ground state, a magnetic order can still occur due to the exchange interactions between neighboring ions admixing the excited CEF levels. The magnetic excitations in such a state are spin excitons generally dispersionless in reciprocal space. Here we use neutron scattering to study stoichiometric Ni₂Mo₃O₈, where Ni²⁺ ions form a bipartite honeycomb lattice comprised of two triangular lattices, with ions subject to the tetrahedral and octahedral crystalline environment, respectively. We find that in both types of ions, the CENature communications2051https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10097669biostudies-literatureDiffusive excitonic bands from frustrated triangular sublattice in a singlet-ground-state system.PMC10097669Liebman JPodlesnyak AGao BNevidomskyy AHChen LDuan CStone MBDuc Le MHuang QMorosan EHuang CLAdroja DTWu XCLi SBalents LDai PYe FFlynn MChen TAbernathy DLfalseDiffusive excitonic bands from frustrated triangular sublattice in a singlet-ground-state system.Magnetic order in most materials occurs when magnetic ions with finite moments arrange in a particular pattern below the ordering temperature. Intriguingly, if the crystal electric field (CEF) effect results in a spin-singlet ground state, a magnetic order can still occur due to the exchange interactions between neighboring ions admixing the excited CEF levels. The magnetic excitations in such a state are spin excitons generally dispersionless in reciprocal space. Here we use neutron scattering to study stoichiometric Ni₂Mo₃O₈, where Ni²⁺ ions form a bipartite honeycomb lattice comprised of two triangular lattices, with ions subject to the tetrahedral and octahedral crystalline environment, respectively. We find that in both types of ions, the CE2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Apr2025-04-05T11:29:35.358Z2025-02-18T23:40:51.743ZS-EPMC100976693704581010.1038/s41467-023-37669-5